I found a new to me auction house I like and check in every once in a while. I stumbled upon a soon-to-end auction and threw out a couple bids. Three of them held and this is the first card from the purchase. It is my first card from the tough-ish 1949-50 Acebo Cuban set and Manuel Hidalgo's nickname is Chino, also something I find interesting when it makes it onto the card itself.
These came in boxes of matches and backs have seven unique designs. Hidalgo was a starter on the 1940 Amateur World Series champion Cuban team and had a solid enough but unspectacular career in Cuba and stateside in minor league ball.
It's a fun addition to my Vintage Collection and is also part of the Richard Merkin Collection, a cool touch. I can't find much on Merkin other than he seemed to have wide-ranging taste in what he collected.
Hidalgo apparently was the first person of Asian descent (he was at least partly Chinese) to play in American organized baseball, which is pretty significant in and of itself. Great find.
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